Lithium transition metal oxide electrodes including additional metals and methods of making the same

Abstract

A lithium transition metal oxide electrode including an additional metal is provided herein as well electrochemical cells including the lithium transition metal oxide electrode and methods of making the lithium transition metal oxide electrode. The lithium transition metal oxide electrode includes a first electroactive material including Li1+aNibMncCodMeO2, where 0.05≤a≤0.5; 0.1≤b≤0.5; 0.3≤c≤0.8; 0≤d≤0.3; 0.001 ≤e≤0.1; a+b+c+d+e=1, and M represents an additional metal, such as W, Mo, V, Zr, Nb, Ta, Fe, Al, or a combination thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrode comprising:
 a first electroactive material comprising Li 1+a Ni b Mn c Co d M e O 2 , where 0.05≤a≤0.5; 0.1≤b≤0.5; 0.3≤c≤0.8; 0≤d≤0.3; 0.001≤e≤0.1; a+b+c+d+e=1; and M represents an additional metal selected from the group consisting of W, Mo, V, Zr, Nb, Ta, Fe, Al, and a combination thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the additional metal is present:
 (i) doped within the first electroactive material;   (ii) as a metal oxide layer; or   (iii) a combination thereof.   
     
     
         3 . The electrode of  claim 2 , wherein one or more of the following are satisfied:
 (i) the metal oxide layer is present on a surface of the first electroactive material; and   (ii) the metal oxide layer has a thickness of about 1 nm to about 100 nm.   
     
     
         4 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein M is selected from the group consisting of W, Mo, V, Zr, Nb, Ta, Fe, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein M is W, Mo, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the first electroactive material is present in an amount of about 40 wt. % to about 95 wt. %, based on total weight of the electrode. 
     
     
         7 . The electrode of  claim 1 , further comprising a polymeric binder, an electrically conductive material, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . An electrochemical cell comprising:
 a positive electrode comprising:
 a first electroactive material comprising Li 1+a Ni b Mn c Co d M e O 2 , where 0.05≤a≤0.5; 0.1≤b≤0.5; 0.3≤c≤0.8; 0≤d ≤0.3; 0.001−e ≤0.1; a+b+c+d+e=1; and M represents an additional metal selected from the group consisting of W, Mo, V, Zr, Nb, Ta, Fe, Al, and a combination thereof. 
   a negative electrode comprising a second electroactive material, wherein the positive electrode is spaced apart from the negative electrode;   a porous separator disposed between confronting surfaces of the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and   a liquid electrolyte infiltrating one or more of: the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the porous separator.   
     
     
         9 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 8 , wherein the additional metal is present:
 (i) doped within the first electroactive material;   (ii) as a metal oxide layer; or   (iii) a combination thereof.   
     
     
         10 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 8 , wherein one or more of the following are satisfied:
 (i) the metal oxide layer is present on a surface of the first electroactive material; and   (ii) the metal oxide layer has a thickness of about 1 nm to about 100 nm.   
     
     
         11 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 8 , wherein M is selected from the group consisting of W, Mo, V, Zr, Nb, Fe, Ta, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 8 , wherein M is W, Mo, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 8 , wherein the first electroactive material is present in an amount of about 40 wt. % to about 95 wt. %, based on total weight of the positive electrode. 
     
     
         14 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 8 , wherein the second electroactive material comprises metallic lithium, a lithium alloy, silicon, graphite, activated carbon, carbon black, hard carbon, soft carbon, graphene, tin oxide, aluminum, indium, zinc, germanium, silicon oxide, titanium oxide, lithium titanate, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The electrochemical cell of  claim 10 , wherein each of the positive electrode and the negative electrode further comprise a polymeric binder, an electrically conductive material, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . A method of preparing an electrode, the method comprising:
 combining one or more first metal precursor, a second metal precursor, and a solution to form a precursor mixture, wherein the one or more first metal precursor is one or more salt of a first metal, wherein the first metal is selected from the group consisting of lithium, manganese, nickel, cobalt, and a combination thereof, and wherein the second metal precursor is a salt, an acid, or an oxide of a second metal, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, zirconium, niobium, tantalum, iron, aluminum, and a combination thereof;   drying the precursor mixture to form an intermediate mixture;   calcining the intermediate mixture at a temperature of about 700° C. to about 1250° C. for about 10 hours to about 30 hours to form a calcined intermediate mixture; and   quenching the calcined intermediate mixture at a temperature of about 15° C. to about 25° C. to form a first electroactive material comprising Li 1+a Ni b Mn c Co d M e O 2 , where 0.05≤a≤0.5; 0.1≤b≤0.5; 0.3≤c≤0.8; 0≤d≤0.3; 0.001≤e ≤0.1; a+b+c+d+e=1; and M represents an additional metal selected from the group consisting of W, Mo, V, Zr, Nb, Ta, Fe, Al, and a combination thereof.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 combining the first electroactive material with a solvent to form a slurry;   applying the slurry to a current collector; and   drying the slurry to remove the solvent and form the electrode.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the additional metal is present:
 (i) doped within the first electroactive material;   (ii) as a metal oxide layer; or   (iii) a combination thereof.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein one or more of the following are satisfied:
 (i) the metal oxide layer is present on a surface of the first electroactive material; and   (ii) the metal oxide layer has a thickness of about 1 nm to about 100 nm.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein M is selected from the group consisting of W, Mo, V, Zr, Nb, Ta, Fe, and a combination thereof.